HEALTH FUNDING AND ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION

That this House expresses concern over the proposals in NHS England's Funding Review of Allocations to alter health funding formulas which would divert funding away from areas of poor health outcomes to areas with better health outcomes; notes the long-standing political and scientific consensus that economic deprivation is a major indicator of healthcare needs; further notes that life expectancy can vary by as much as 11.5 years in different parts of England; further notes the answer given by the Health Minister in the House on 12 June 2012 that he 'can give that assurance' in response to a question from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East that economic deprivation would not be downgraded in the resource allocation formula, Official Report, column 167; further notes the Health Minister's failure to condemn the proposals when questioned in the House on 22 October 2013, Official Report, column 134, and during a Westminster Hall debate on 5 November 2013, Official Report, column 63WH; and calls on the Government to resist any further moves to divert funding away from areas of high deprivation in future funding allocations and to oppose the proposals being consulted on in NHS England's funding review of allocations.